UNESCO condemns murder of Indian journalist, asks for probe

UNITED NATIONS: The UN scientific and educational organisation UNESCO has condemned the murder of an Indian journalist in West Bengal last month and asked for a probe into the crime.

"I condemn the murder of Chaitali Santra and urge the authorities to investigate this crime," UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Director-General Irina Bokova said in a statement.

Santra was a correspondent in Howrah, West Bengal, for the Hindi-language weekly 'Julm se Jang'. She was killed on September 26 by a parcel bomb that she opened in her home. Her husband was severely injured in the blast.

Bokova said killing and intimidating media workers constitutes an "unacceptable attack" on the basic human right of freedom of expression and on the media's democratic right to work without fear or hindrance.

"It is essential that the perpetrators of such crimes be brought to justice," she added.